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OVERVIEW

What is psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a common chronic condition.   There are several types of psoriasis. The main type is plaque psoriasis. It occurs when skin cell overgrowth forms a type of rash on your skin. The rash often is raised with red marks and flaky white patches that look like scales.

SYMPTOMS

What are the symptoms of psoriasis?

The symptoms of psoriasis may include:

• Pink or red, raised patches of scaly skin
• Dry or flaky skin that may crack and bleed
• Skin that burns or stings
• Skin that is itchy or sore
• Thick, bumpy fingernails
• Pus-filled blisters on the red patches of skin (in more severe cases)

Symptoms can occur anywhere on your body. Common places are your knees, elbows, and scalp.

CAUSES & RISK FACTORS

What causes psoriasis?

Psoriasis starts with the immune system. Your immune system usually protects the body against infection and disease. When you have psoriasis, your T cells (a kind of white blood cell) wrongly attack your skin cells.  This causes your skin cells to rapidly produce and swell.

Most people who get psoriasis are between the ages of 15 and 35. Psoriasis can be genetic, and it is not contagious. You cannot get it from another person or give it to someone else by touching them. You also cannot spread it to other parts of your body.

DIAGNOSIS

It may be hard to diagnose psoriasis. This is because it looks like other skin problems, such as eczema. Talk to your healthcare provider if you think you have psoriasis. The healthcare provider will do a physical exam and review your symptoms. They may take a biopsy of skin and look at it in the lab to help with your diagnosis. They may refer you to a dermatologist (skin doctor).

There are different degrees of psoriasis:

• Mild: symptoms cover less than 3% of your body.
• Moderate: symptoms cover 3% to 10% of your body.
• Severe: symptoms cover more than 10% of your body.

PREVENTION

Can psoriasis be prevented or avoided?

You cannot avoid psoriasis, but you can help control it. People who have this condition may experience periods of time without any symptoms. Other times, psoriasis can flare up or get worse. Avoid factors that can cause flareups, including:

• Stress
• Dry skin
• Skin irritations
• Cold weather
• Smoking
• Infections (such as strep throat and the common cold)
• Diseases that weaken the immune system
• Certain medicines (such as beta-blockers for high blood pressure)

TREATMENT

How is psoriasis treated?

There are a number of treatments for psoriasis. Your healthcare provider will help you decide which one is best for you. Keeping your skin moisturized with an over-the-counter product is a good first step. Body lotion can help keep skin from getting too dry and cracking. It can also help remove some of the scales. Bathing daily in Epsom salts, Dead Sea salts, bath oil or oatmeal can calm redness and remove scales.

If over-the-counter solutions don’t work, your healthcare provider can prescribe topical medicines. These include prescription creams, ointments, lotions and gels You apply these to your affected areas.  Cover the treated patches with plastic wrap to help the medicine stay on your skin. You can use special shampoos for psoriasis on the scalp.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe medicine in pill or injection form. Some of these medicines can cause side effects, so your healthcare provider may prescribe these for only a short period of time, like when symptoms flare.

Sunlight also can help psoriasis but be careful not to stay in the sun too long. A sunburn can actually make your psoriasis worse. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to safely try sunlight exposure as a psoriasis treatment. Light therapy may be another option for treatment of psoriasis. With this treatment, the affected skin is exposed to controlled forms of artificial sunlight, usually after using Psoralen, a light-sensitizing medicine. This is called “PUVA” treatment. Talk to your healthcare provider about this option.

Living with psoriasis

There is no cure for psoriasis. The goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms and reduce flares. People who have psoriasis may develop psoriatic arthritis. This affects your joints and causes swelling, stiffness, and pain. Psoriasis can be linked to other health conditions. Examples include diabetes and heart disease.